Brave New World
by mickeydubs
Summary: As much as she hated to admit it, Cosima had been getting lonely. After months hidden away in her little apartment by herself, Delphine seemed like the perfect science enthusiast type to take on as a new friend. But, of course, things are rarely as they seem. Cophine.
1. Venturing Out

Brave New World

Chapter 1: Venturing Out

A spec of dust wandered lazily through the air, in and out of the single beam of sunlight that peeked through the still, dark curtains draped over the windows. Her eyes followed it without focus as her pen tapped lightly over a textbook she'd all but memorized. Her desk was littered with other such texts and papers filled with little notes and diagrams she'd drawn.

Her peers recognized her as an overachiever, but the fact was that she simply loved the material. Cosima, for all of her nose-pierced, dreaklocked, San Francisco origination, was just captivated by science. From her 10th grade biology class on, she'd been overcome with her interest in the field. The idea that species could change in physical makeup over time to meet their needs based on the environment and its inhabitants was endlessly fascinating to her. Adaptation, genetics, evolution; she could talk about it, study it, absorb everything she could of it for days at a time.

This enthusiasm turned out to be a double-edged sword however, as it meant she was constantly ahead in classes and appeared to her classmates to be something of a teacher's pet when she knew all of the answers before they'd been discussed in class.

This summer she'd gotten an apartment just off the University of Minnesota campus, where she'd be starting classes the next day, but she had still yet to have any real social interaction. She'd spent the past two months in a new place full of strangers, and with all of the insanity that was Beth and Alison, she wasn't in the mental space to get into any personal drama.

When she'd first met the two women, and the term "clones" came up, Cosima had been invigorated with the prospect of scientific advancements profound enough to accomplish such a feat.

But then came the complications.

They came in touch with Katja, the German, and the realization that there was almost certainly someone keeping tabs on them, as Cosima knew she would do if she were in charge of an experiment of such caliber, dawned on them. It was rather jolting - terrifying, in fact - the sudden knowledge that anyone could be monitoring their lives.

So, for the last eight weeks, rather than go out and make friends or participate in any sort of social event, she'd holed up in her little two-room and appeased self-doubts with claims of "nesting". She read five of the six textbooks she'd purchased for the classes that were to start the next day, and she'd still had enough time research as much as she could about her situation with Beth and Alison.

But, it was only human nature to seek companionship. Cosima was becoming more and more aware of how alone she was.

She glanced back down at the book on her desk and, deciding she already knew it better than she'd need to even for the length of the course she'd be using it in, used her pen to flip the cover shut. Leaning back in her chair, she looked around the darkness of her lonely apartment. There were clear signs of habitation. Her clothes, both clean and worn, littered the floor around her dresser. Her bed had quite visibly been slept in - the blankets were unkempt and one of the pillows hung halfway off the mattress. Two Chinese take-out boxes sat on the coffee table, one with a pair of cheap wooden chopsticks still sticking out the top. What Alison would undoubtedly refer to as 'drug paraphernalia' was scattered among her notes and books on her desk. The whole living space had clearly not seen visitors in some time.

She chewed her thumbnail and looked out the sliver of light that cracked through the wall of shadow created by the curtains in her window. She stood and pulled her hair out of her face as she crossed the room to pull back one of the curtains. It was a nice day outside. The sky was practically cloud-free, and there was finally that feeling of business that came with having students moved in for the school year.

"Screw it." She grabbed a joint from her desk, slung her bag over her shoulder, and made her way out the door.

* * *

The campus coffee shop nearest her apartment, though open all summer, was experiencing a newfound hustle-and-bustle as students were reappearing for the fall semester.

Cosima examined the menu board as she took a place in line behind a girl with short blonde hair. Once she decided on a simple iced vanilla latté, she peered around the room; all of the people, gathered around the little round tables, chatting idly over cappuccinos, seemed to know each other. Cosima tried to suppress the miniscule frown that depressed her brow. Her solitude had been self-imposed. She was alone for a reason.

She broke from her distraction and realized that the line had moved only when the barista at the cash register called her forward to place her order. "Hey Glasses, you gonna stand there all day, or you wanna order somethin'?"

She shuffled toward the man waiting impatiently behind the counter, flustered, and consequently bumped the shoulder of the girl in front of her, who was just about to take her drink and go, knocking a notebook clear from her hands.

"Shit, sorry," she muttered as she bent to retrieve the fallen leather-bound book and noted that there was what appeared to be a complex polymer diagram sketched into it before she closed it and made to hand it back to its owner. She paused when she met the girl's eyes. There was something about them that made her pause; something about them seemed familiar; or rather, they seemed to find her familiar. Cosima handed her the notebook and looked down to her feet. "Sorry."

"It's alright," she heard as the blonde accepted the book, grabbed her drink, and headed in the direction of the door. There was a certain inflection in her voice. She was definitely not a local.

Cosima placed her order hastily and took her drink outside. She couldn't say why, but she felt a sudden, unrelenting urge to go after the girl. After searching the area for a couple of seconds, she crossed a bit of green to where the blonde was sitting on a bench, skimming through the notebook she'd so clumsily bumped from her hands. The girl wore gladiator sandals on her feet, and a pair of high waisted shorts with a simple, loose tank top. Her short but wavy hair fell just above her curved shoulders; the color reminded Cosima of honey in sunlight, which was weird, because usually to her, hair was just brown or blonde or red or whatever. There was something about this girl that had Cosima infinitely curious, but at the same time wary.

As always, curiosity won over.

She approached the girl slowly, careful not to stumble over her own feet again. She reached a wavering hand out to tap the girl on the shoulder. The blonde turned with a questioning but open expression, and her lips quirked up in a small smirk when she realized who it was trying to gain her attention.

Cosima swallowed but greeted her with an easy, self-depreciating confidence. "Hi. I'm really sorry about before; I'm not usually that clumsy. I guess I was just a little distracted."

The girl bobbed her head. "It's not a problem. My notebook wasn't hurt, so I won't hold it against you." She couldn't be sure, but for a second, Cosima was sure she saw the girl wink.

They both chuckled softly. Cosima gestured to the mentioned notebook. "So, I couldn't help but notice some of your notes. Are you in the science department here?"

The girl looked pleasantly surprised that she was able to interpret what was written. "Yes, actually. I'm getting my PhD, specializing in immunology."

Cosima's smile brightened. "Oh, wow. That's really cool. I'm in evo devo, so..."

The girl seemed to draw a blank and then snapped her fingers as she made the connection. "Evolutionary developmental biology! That's a very interesting field." She trailed off for a moment, then shook her head and offered her hand. "I'm Delphine."

Cosima let the woman's accent wash over her. It was elegant and suited the blonde's classy but casual demeanor. "Delphine." The blonde cocked her head but grinned, and Cosima blinked embarrassedly. "Oh, right," she accepted the outstretched hand, "I'm Cosima."

"Cosima... That's an unusual name," Delphine said with a hint of intrigue.

Her lips quirked as she said, "Well, I'm kind of an unusual girl. And I'm from San Fran, so," she shrugged as she pulled the blunt from behind her ear and twirled it between her fingers.

Delphine bowed her head slightly as she let out a small chuckle. "I see." She paused. "I like it. Unusual is good." She tilted her head back slightly and allowed the sun to glance off of her face as her eyelids fluttered closed.

Cosima took a breath, but before she could point to the bench and ask, Delphine said, "Would you like to sit with me?"

She slipped casually into the vacant seat with a contented sigh and a lazy sip of her latté. They sat, side by side, without saying anything for a while. Cosima observed the world around her. Sunlight gleamed in every direction. Occasional clouds wandered across the blue of the sky in white, insignificant wisps. The grass that covered the quad on which they sat was almost startlingly green, and many other students seemed to have had the same idea, as they spread out over the lawns with books and ipods, happy to spend the afternoon enjoying the sun before they were back to work the next day.

After several moments of comfortable silence, Cosima glanced at her new acquaintance curiously out of the corner of her eye. "So, Delphine... Do you...?" She held the joint up to wordlessly finish the question.

Delphine cocked her head slightly and examined her with a hint of amusement. "Do I... smoke? Why, are you offering?"

Cosima shrugged one of her shoulders and twiddled the blunt in her hands. "I mean, it's cool if you're not into it. I know some people can be kind of uptight about this sort of thing."

"Oh, no, it's not so much that," she shook her head, and her curls bounced around her shoulders lightly. She leaned in, close enough that Cosima could feel her cool breath on her cheek. "Can I tell you a secret?" Cosima ignored the goosebumps that rippled over her skin and nodded. Delphine's voice dropped to a whisper, and she glanced around with a coy grin. "I have never tried marijuana before."

Cosima released a hearty laugh. "So you're a weed virgin, huh?" Delphine hid a slight blush behind her coffee cup as she took a long drink. Cosima licked her lips. Everything about this girl was just so... endearing. With a chuckle, she said, "If you wanted, I could, y'know, take you through it. You can come back to my place if you want, make sure you don't make a fool of yourself in front of the general public."

Delphine smiled shyly, but her eyes were wide and sincere. "You would do that? I wouldn't want to impose. We've only just met, I couldn't ask you to do all this for me." She bit her lip, and suddenly Cosima had to force herself to take deep breaths.

She waved her off. "Yeah, I've been bored anyway. It'll be fun; I can be your pot guru." They both laughed at that. "I've been a little on the short end as far as a social life goes, so it would really be my pleasure. And honestly, I can't think of a better way to get to know someone."

"Is that so?" Delphine giggled as she spoke, and it only served to make her accent that much more prominent to Cosima. She took a large gulp of her latté.

"Oh yeah. I'm going to get you so baked," she muttered with a little giggle.

Delphine's eyes twinkled. She plucked the little white stick from Cosima's fingers and stuck it between her lips. "Okay."


	2. The High Road

Brave New World

Chapter 2: The High Road

Cosima jiggled the key in the lock of her apartment door until she heard that telltale click. She swung it open and, with a grand gesture and a silly grin, motioned for her new companion to enter. She held the door as the blonde shuffled past her and inside the humble tenement.

She followed her in, kicked the door shut behind her with her foot, and watched curiously as Delphine looked around and took in the inside of her home. As the blonde's eyes wandered, Cosima became very aware of the dirty laundry that covered the floor around her bed, the smell of her leftover Chinese that hung thickly in the air, the wallpaper that she hadn't realized until then looked like something you'd find in your grandmother's bedroom, the creak of that one floorboard near the coffee table, and the drone of the fan that blew warm air into the room from the window. It wasn't at all suitable for guests. She could have kicked herself for the mess that she'd let her apartment become. She bit her lip self-consciously, knowing that Delphine was probably kicking herself too, for agreeing to come back with her to this shithole she called a living space.

She wrung her hands and moved farther into the living room. "Sorry about the state of things in here; I haven't really had any company since I moved in. I've kind of gotten in the habit of throwing things all over the place," she apologized as she attempted to inconspicuously pick up some of the clutter. She held various items and garments behind her back and dropped them, notebooks and socks alike, into the hamper in the corner of the room.

She straightened hurriedly and tried to appear as if she hadn't just dumped an armful of her random things into the dirty laundry bin when Delphine turned back to her from the spot she'd wandered nonchalantly to as she'd visually explored the flat and hummed, "No, I love it. Your place, it's very... _intime_..." She waved her hands around a bit to indicate that she was looking for the right word. "It's... homey." She moseyed a couple of steps further and leaned against the curtained archway that led to Cosima's bedroom. "Most scientists I know are so obsessed with organization. Their homes are even more squared away and sterile than their laboratories." She chuckled lightly to show that she was mostly joking; Cosima was momentarily distracted by the dimples that appeared on her face.

After a few seconds, she shook herself out of it and made her way into the kitchen area. "So, can I get you something to drink?" She opened the little fridge and leaned down to examine its contents. "I've got water, apple juice..." She checked her watch. "Actually, you know what, it's past five o'clock," she pulled her head back out of the refrigerator, rested her elbow on the open door, and pointed over Delphine's shoulder, "if you're up for it, there's a bottle of wine on that shelf over there."

Delphine smirked goofily. "So now you're going to get me drunk as well as stoned? Is this some kind of plot to make me all uninhibited and take advantage of me?"

Cosima felt her cheeks flush with heat and turned around again. She reached up to open a cabinet. "Who, me? I'm as innocent as they come." She grabbed a couple of glasses and held them up with a raise of her eyebrow. "So. What are we having?"

* * *

The bottle of wine sat on the desk, now only a third full and entirely forgotten by the girls who'd opened it. The glasses sat on the nightstand, similarly drained of the majority of their contents.

Cosima and Delphine lay side-by-side on top of the blankets that covered the bed. Their shoulders just touched, and their feet hung off of opposite sides of the mattress. Cosima brought the joint they'd been sharing to her lips and sucked in a lungful before she passed it back to Delphine. She held the smoke in her lungs for as long as she could, then let it out in a smooth stream of grey.

Beside her, she heard Delphine take a long hit, and she turned on her side to see her let the smoke out in a long, gentle exhalation. For someone who'd never tried it before, the way in which Delphine smoked was almost eloquent in its nature. Her face was calm, and her lips parted just so as she released the smoke that she'd taken into her body. Her chest rose and fell steadily as she breathed deeply. It was practically poetic, the way her fingers held the stick of neatly rolled pot, the manner in which the joint met her lips and she pulled the chemically charged air into her throat. Her eyes had become hooded, though she was clearly still aware. Her lips had what seemed to be a chronic lift in their corners. The twinkle in her eye hadn't extinguished in the least. If anything, it had grown.

"So, Cos-Cosime-Cosima... How do... how do you know if it... how do you know if you're gotten high?" She fell into a fit of giggles as she struggled to get the words out and rolled over onto her side and into Cosima's chest.

Cosima joined in her laughter and muttered, "I think when you start saying 'you're' instead of 'you've' and everything seems as funny as it does right now."

Delphine chuckled a bit harder and buried her face in Cosima's shoulder. "Is that, did I say that? Whoops!" she continued giggling and did a loopy hand motion to go with her exclamation. She smacked her lips a bit and Cosima could feel it vaguely as a tiny frown scrunched Delphine's forehead. "I am very thirsty all of a sudden." She lifted her head again, eyes wide and rimmed with red. "I think there still is wine left." She made to get up and get the bottle, but when she got to the edge of the bed, she lost her balance and tumbled over onto the floor.

Cosima bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing at the sight of Delphine trying to pick herself up from the floor without using the sheets hanging off the bed as leverage and consequently toppling back over. Eventually she stood and rounded the bed to help her up and sat her back on top of the bed. "Woo, okay, I don't think you need anymore wine after that display. How about some water?"

A confused expression played over her features. "_Pourquoi_ - I mean... Why do you say that?"

Cosima bit back another chuckle. "Because, Delphine, you're getting a little sloppy."

The blonde closed her eyes and laid back down with her arms over her head. After a moment without moving, in which Cosima thought she might have fallen asleep, she sat back up, grabbed Cosima's by the elbow, and pulled her down with her as she flopped once again onto her back. "Mmm, come back and lay with me." She muttered something else after that, but it was too quiet and slurred to make out. Cosima was also slightly distracted by the fact that Delphine's lips were close enough to her face that she could feel wisps of her breath in her ear.

Cosima cleared her throat with some effort. "Uh, you know, I think this might verge on that whole 'taking advantage' thing we were talking about earlier."

The scrunch in her forehead returned. "_Non, non_, it's okay. I just... _Je me sens_... I feel as if I am dreaming."

Cosima rolled her eyes amusedly. "Well, that's flattering. And... oddly romantic."

Delphine started giggling again. "It's probably just my accent. _Français_ is one of the romance languages, _oui_? So everything I say has that inflection because of that, is my theory. My hypothesis."

Cosima nodded along. "I see. So what was it that made you decide to jump the lake? To be honest, I think North America is pretty boring. I think I'd like to travel once I've got my degree."

"Oh, I came for the same reason everyone comes. The _opportunités_. France is a wonderful place, and I do miss it quite often, but there are just so many things here that you could never find there."

"Yeah, like what?"

Delphine stared at her for a few seconds. "I just thought something, but it even sounded _bête_ in my head."

"_Bête_?"

Delphine searched for the word for a moment. "Yes, um... it's like, foolish. Silly."

"What, tell me. Come on, I promise I won't laugh or anything."

"Alright, _ça va_. And this may just be the marijuana clouding my brain, but... I was going to say, even though we've just met, I don't think there's a single person like you that I've met in France." Cosima felt a particularly large butterfly jump from her stomach into her chest. She opened her mouth to reply when Delphine continued, "I'm very happy to have met you. It's nice to make a friend in the brave new world."

Cosima was momentarily reduced to the likes of a teenage girl of the early 2000's. "Yeah, ditto. Obvs." Once again, she mentally kicked her own rear.

She turned more fully onto her side and leaned on her elbow. Her eyes met Delphine's, and for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Delphine's pupils had dilated from the weed she'd smoked, but the undeniable hazel of her irises remained unobscured. They were every shade of green and brown and gold all at once, and Cosima felt as if she could have drowned in them, happily.

Cosima licked her lips unconsciously. "You know, there's this, um, there's this psychology thing that I'm just remembering, about when two people's faces are, you know, too close to just be... talking."

"Oh, I see," she said. She made no move to back away. "You know," Delphine leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, "I've never kissed a girl before."

Cosima didn't move either. "Okay, clarifying question, because I know you're like, super high right now: are you telling me this as a random observational non sequitur or are you saying it because you want me to kiss you?"

Delphine blinked rapidly and bobbed her head without opening her mouth to speak. Their eyes were locked. Electricity hummed between them. Cosima was frozen in place, afraid to move. It felt as if the moment were made of glass, and the slightest shift might shatter it, and the buzz in her fingertips along with it.

Then Delphine bit her lip.

Their lips were attached before she knew what she was doing. She must have lurched over the bed, because suddenly she was lying half on top of Delphine, who had become rather out of breath rather quickly beneath her. Their lips tangled urgently. Delphine's hands grasped at the back of her neck. Cosima's fingers buried themselves in the folds of Delphine's shirt. Her heart raced to the point where it felt more like a hummingbird in her chest. She kissed Delphine hard and without thought. She worried briefly that her lips might bruise, but it wasn't enough to stop her from continuing. She nipped lightly at Delphine's bottom lip and smirked at the quiet hiss it elicited from her. She traced her tongue along the edge of Delphine's lip until it parted from the other and she slipped it inside. It met Delphine's in a forceful, delicious collision.

It wasn't until Delphine snuck her hands under her shirt that Cosima realized what she was doing and disentangled herself from the knot she'd been weaving of herself and the girl still trapped under her body.

She rolled off of Delphine with as much grace as she could muster and stood hastily from the bed. This was certainly a compromising position in which to find herself.

"Shit. I'm so sorry about that, Delphine, I don't know what just came over me. The pot and the wine must have gone to my head or something."

Delphine sat up on her knees on the bed and watched as Cosima began to pace nervously. "Cosima. You are getting worked up over nothing."

"Nothing? No, I just completely took advantage of you! You just wanted to hang out and try weed, and I went and jumped on you like a sexually frustrated teenager!"

"Hey!" Delphine actually snapped her fingers to get Cosima to stop in her stride and look at her. "It is okay. I was the instigator here. Please stop fidgeting; I am not upset with you."

Cosima looked down at her hands and then back up to Delphine's face, which was silently pleading with her to take a breath. "Are you sure?"

Delphine sighed a little grin, relieved. "_Oui, ma chérie_. I am sure."

Cosima visibly relaxed and sat beside Delphine on the bed. She folded her hands in her lap. "Because, you know, we can totally chalk this all up to the drugs if you want-"

She was cut off by Delphine's burst of animated laughter. The blonde fell backward onto the bed, and Cosima ran out of words to say on the matter.


	3. Hot Wings

Brave New World

Chapter 3: Hot Wings

Clouds drifted across the sky, little more than cotton balls tossed on a lazy river. Cosima tilted her head back with closed eyes and felt warm early-evening sun caress her face. A little smile played over her lips. She couldn't help it. She was just... happy.

It wasn't a feeling she'd been particularly accustomed to since she'd come to Minnesota.

She'd gotten used to being alone - to being lonely - and she'd accepted the fact that her experimental clone status made her a target, and that meant that she needed to watch her back. She'd gotten used to a quiet life by herself, grown accustomed to nights alone in her little apartment with some pot and the internet. It was a quiet life. It was a life that left her feeling rather unfulfilled. It was only human nature to crave attention and affection from other people.

So there she was, walking through campus, on her way to meet Delphine and grinning at the air like some giddy fool. And she loved it.

Things were finally going her way. She'd started to make noticeable progress on her thesis research in the lab, the students in the class she TA'd looked at her as if she were some kind of god, and she'd said 'screw it' to the idea of self-induced isolation. She and Delphine were officially a couple. She hadn't shied away from the relationship - or her feelings - as good sense and logic, not to mention the other clones, would have told her to.

She knew that any one of the people around her could be a danger. Any of her classmates or professors could have been tracking her that very moment, plotting her demise or reporting to a superior scientist on her health and activities.

But Delphine... Delphine was genuine. She honest and curious, and the way she smiled at her, Cosima knew that there was no deception behind it. She could feel it. It was a knowledge beyond scientific explanation. Delphine was just a girl whose heart was drawn to her own.

Since the day they had met, they'd been near inseparable. That day had essentially become their first date, when the munchies overcame them and they walked to the diner down the street to get dinner together. By the time they'd gotten themselves out of the apartment and to the restaurant, it was late into the night. They both ordered milkshakes and french fries, and when they finished those, cups of coffee. They'd talked for hours, mostly about science, but also about books and television and culture. When Cosima walked Delphine home, time had brought them into the early hours of the morning. They paused at the door to the apartment complex, and Delphine told Cosima that if she were to kiss her again, she wouldn't stop her. Cosima hesitated, then, so Delphine took the initiative.

Almost every day after that for three weeks they took turns going to each other's apartments. They ordered in or brought food to share. (They tried cooking together once. The food on the stove was forgotten and burned into lumps of black when they became distracted by each other's lips.) They sprawled beside each other on the sofa or on the floor or on the bed, and they had talked endlessly about everything that they could think of.

Given her situation, it was more than Cosima dared ask for.

The sun sank lower in the sky. Cosima got back to her apartment and shed her coat as she entered. Delphine was sure to be there any minute. Cosima couldn't wait.

LIke clockwork, there was a knock at the door just as Cosima pulled a bottle of wine out and set it on the counter. She reached for a pair of glasses in the cabinet over the sink as she called over her shoulder, "It's open!"

She heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of a jacket being tossed over one of the stools off to the side of the room. A pair of arms slid around her waist from behind, and a pair of lips met her ear with a soft, shiver-inducing whisper. "Bonsoir, ma cherie."

Cosima closed her eyes and leaned back into the embrace. She turned her head and shifted to one side to see Delphine's eyes shining as the blonde smiled down at her. She reached an arm up around her neck and stood up on her toes to plant a kiss on Delphine's lips. "Mm, good evening to you, too." She turned to face her fully, and they stood with their slung around each other. "So. Dinner. I was thinking we could have some hot wings delivered from that place a couple blocks over?"

Delphine adopted a sly smirk as she bowed her head to Cosima's and husked, "Works for me. I like anything, if it's hot enough."

Cosima felt desire begin to churn low in her gut. Her voice came out short and breathy. "Well, that's good, 'cause I already called in the order, so... we have some time to kill."

Delphine lifted an eyebrow. Her fingers skirted around Cosima's waist and slipped just under the hem of her shirt. Her eyes smoldered. Her fingertips tingled. With a smirk, Delphine backed Cosima slowly into the counter behind her and trapped her there with her hips. Cosima felt a little light headed.

Cosima let her hands get lost in Delphine's aureate locks of hair and brought their lips together in a heated but gentle kiss. She worked her lips over Delphine's, capturing that slightly protruded bottom lip, then the top, then the bottom again. Her eyes fell closed, and she screwed her eyelids more tightly shut as passion grew rapidly inside her. If she were to spend the rest of her life just kissing Delphine, she was sure it would have gone down as the greatest life anyone had ever lived. A tongue traced over the pout in her lip, and her mouth fell open to let it in. It slid over hers, smooth and graceful. She wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck to bring their bodies closer, always closer. She could never get enough.

Her nerves hummed with the proximity. Her whole body buzzed. She could feel a strong, steady pulse radiating from her core.

She felt her own legs begin walking them in the direction of the bed. She kept their mouths connected. She wanted to tangle their lips into a knot and never untie it.

Her heart raced in her chest. Delphine's skin burned against her own. It was the best kind of heat. She wanted more of it.

Delphine's cool breath ghosted past the gates of Cosima's teeth. Her hands snaked along Cosima's spine. A whimper escaped her throat when Cosima lightly sank her teeth into it. Cosima latched her lips onto the divot where Delphine's neck met her shoulder and sucked.

Delphine's eyes rolled back in her head. "_Baise-moi_."

Cosima smiled against her skin. She understood enough of the romance language to know what that meant. "That's the idea."

The backs of Delphine's knees hit the bed, and her legs folded against it. Without hesitation, Cosima crawled on top of her and straddled her hips. Her mouth found Delphine's again and she inhaled sharply as the blonde's fingernails dug into her thighs. There were sure to be ten little crescent moon welts left on her flesh there. Her head fell back in pleasure when Delphine's teeth introduced themselves enthusiastically to her collarbone. And then her chest. Then the valley between her breasts. They scraped deliciously over her skin, trails pink left in their wake. Delphine trailed the tip of her nose along the skin just over Cosima's hammering heart. Her breath left trails of goosebumps. Cosima could feel the heat of her desire growing between her legs.

She pulled away quickly to yank her shirt over her head. Delphine took the opportunity to appreciate her girlfriend's physique before following suit. She reached out and splayed her hands over Cosima's toned stomach. Cosima felt her muscles contract instinctually at the touch. Her breath hitched as Delphine's hands began to travel north, ever so slowly. Agonizingly slowly.

She grabbed Delphine's hands and forced them up. She hissed when Delphine's mouth enveloped her earlobe. She could hear the subdued chuckle in the blonde's grin on her neck.

She sat up on her knees to let Delphine slide herself back further onto the bed. Her eyes shone with mirth as she lowered herself onto all fours and stalked like a cat over the sheets to hover over her lover's body. She smirked as she snapped the button of Delphine's jeans open.

"So, is this hot enough for you?"

* * *

Cosima lay sideways across the bed with her ankles crossed atop Delphine's knees. An open to-go container filled with buffalo wings sat between them. The sun had dropped below the horizon, and the apartment was dim.

Delphine, with a twinkle in her eye, leaned over on one elbow and swiped a thumb over Cosima's mouth with her free hand. When she raised an eyebrow, Delphine's cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. Delphine shrugged. "You had ranch dressing on your face."

Cosima grinned as she reached for the container of ranch. She sat up, dipped a finger into the sauce, and tapped Delphine on the nose, leaving a little white dot right on the tip. With fake surprise, she exclaimed, "Oh no, it looks like you've got some ranch on your face, too."

Delphine widened her eyes in mock offendedness. As she struggled to supress the smile that was fighting for it's place among her features, she snagged the dressing out of Cosima's hand and wiped a trail along her cheek. "_Mon dieux_, Cosima. You should really be more careful when you're eating. You have this dressing all over yourself."

Cosima, with a short laugh, tried to splash what was left of the dressing at Delphine, but it's thick consistency meant that it covered Delphine's mouth and chin in a great gooey glob. Delphine, by then smiling like a fool, was silent for a moment before she muttered, "I can't believe you just did that."

Before Cosima knew what was happening, Delphine had launched herself on top of her and was kissing all over her face, effectively spreading the ranch over as much of Cosima's head as her own.

After several minutes, during which they giggled immensely and licked the dressing off of each other's faces, Delphine and Cosima settled beside each other. They both propped their heads up on elbows and laid on their sides. Their feet nestled overlapped with each other and Cosima traced her fingertips over the curve of Delphine's shoulder.

Delphine bit her lip as she watched Cosima's eyelids grow heavy. Her voice was wispy as she murmured, "Hey."

Cosima's espresso eyes flicked to hers in question. "Hm?"

"Cosima," she hesitated. "I..." She could feel the words forming on her tongue. She could feel them preparing to wander out of her mouth. But she knew that once they were released, they were out there for good. It was too early for those words. As true as they may have been. She shoved them down. "I'm just really happy."

Cosima smiled, and her eyes were the warmest she'd ever seen.

"Me too."

* * *

Cosima walked her familiar route across the campus quad. The sunlight made her squint a bit, but it was another beautiful day, and Cosima was glad for the persistence of the good weather. She walked with a smile on her face. She walked as if the world were a wonderful place, because to her, at the moment, it was.

She reached Delphine's apartment and knocked twice on the door before twisting the knob and striding in. She'd learned by then that Delphine very rarely locked her front door, despite the safety hazards Cosima warned her about.

She dropped her things by the door and hung her jacket on a hook just inside. Delphine's place was small, but dignified. The furniture was modern, but the little knick knacks and photos scattered around gave it a homey vibe. The kitchen was well endowed, and the open floor plan centered around a humble sitting room. It was a home that suited its owner.

Delphine met Cosima as she entered the flat as she always did, but this time rather than greeting her with a glass of wine, she held up a bottle of champagne. Cosima took in the image before her of Delphine beaming excitedly and practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Cosima's eyebrows lifted in amusement. "What's with the eager beaver? And the," she took the bottle from Delphine and glanced at it, "very expensive bubbly?"

Delphine stepped into her and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. When she backed away, the wide-eyed grin was still firmly in place. She stated simply, "We're celebrating."

Delphine glided into the kitchen and retrieved a pair of tall glasses for the champagne. Cosima regarded her curiously. She could have sworn she heard Delphine humming, though she couldn't be sure. When the blonde returned and handed her one of the glasses, Cosima accepted it and posed the question that she could tell Delphine was just waiting for her to ask. "And... what is it that we're celebrating, exactly?"

Delphine poured champagne for both of them, clinked her glass with Cosima's, and downed the contents before she answered. "I met a man today."

She poured herself another glass, and Cosima nodded, trying to telepathically pull the words from her girlfriend's mouth. "Yeah, babe, I'm going to need a little more than that."

Delphine smirked. "He is a scientist man. He was the guest lecturer in the class I TA today, and I was able to speak to him after." Cosima nodded for her to continue. "He told me about his work - he studies different species and diseases that threaten them. When I told him that I was studying immunology, he told me that he's putting together a research team."

As Cosima caught on to the train that the line of conversation was following, her face brightened with pride and exhilaration for Delphine. "Wait, so, he offered you a job?"

Delphine nodded, and her hair bounced wildly. "Yes! He asked me all about my research and where I have studied; he seemed to know a lot about the programs I was in during my undergraduate years. But, long story short, he asked me if I wanted a position on his team of researchers who would be involved in developing new vaccines and studying the effects of illness on rare breeds. It is like a dream, Cosima!" She rushed in for another kiss, enthrallment ever so evident in her face.

Cosima beamed at Delphine, second-hand adrenaline coursing through her body. "That's amazing, Delphine! I'm so happy for you."

Delphine shook her head, as if she couldn't believe that what she was experiencing was real.

"Just wait until you meet him, Cosima. He's a brilliant man. I know you'll just love Dr. Leekie."


End file.
